AK and AKs are now officially my 2 worst hands according to PokerTracker.

When seeing a flop I win around about 50% with each hand which is not a lot and while I appreciate I'm not the greatest at playing AK, I'm seriously starting to question whether or not re raising PF with AK is that great a move and here's why:
The only hands that call your re raise really will be pocket pairs and maybe suited connectors if they're feeling frisky. Neither of these types of hands are likely to pay us off any more post flop if we hit e.g. JJ isn't stacking off on an Axx flop in a re raised pot, it would just be stupid. The same applies to Kxx flops imo.
The flops we miss are often going to be great flops for the types of hands that call us too! This means we are very vulnerable to being raised when we CB

When re raising PF with AK how often should we CB a missed flop:
1) when in position, and
2) out of position?

What types of flops are we just check/folding? This always seems like such a waste!

Not to mention there are the occasional times when we get re re raised PF and are faced with having to fold with a lot invested PF.

The way I see it is that it is very hard to ever win a big pot with AK.
These are the possible ways that I see:
1) You hit a higher 2 pair - very unlikely
2) You hit broadway v 2 pair/set - again, very unlikely
3) Flush over flush - yet again, very unlikely
4) Flush v 2 pair/set - yep, you guessed it, very unlikely

I don't think that the times that I raise/re raise PF with AK and take down the pot even comes close to the number of times that I get called and lose even more post flop, VERY rarely making any more once the flop comes out.

By the way my re raises are always in the range of 3-5x the original bet.


I have more thoughts on this but I don't want the post to get too long.

What are other people's thoughts on AK at the cash tables and the points that I have raised?

Also, how do you make AK a profitable hand for you?

AKs and AKo should be a big winning hand for you in cash and tournaments.

If you are losing with it, you are certainly playing it wrong.

Just post some of the big pots you have lost (or won) with AK and we can pick them apart.

If there was a way to answer "how to play AK in NLHE cash" in a single post there wouldn't be a use for these forums

They are both winning hands for me but only just, for AKs it's 0.18bb/hand and AKo is 0.34bb/hand. Weird when I see AQ is about 3bb/hand.

When I next have an interesting AK hand I'll post it, chances are I'm playing it wrong too.

Originally Posted by tightagressive

AKs and AKo should be a big winning hand for you in cash and tournaments.

In tournaments AK should be a lot more profitable than in cash, since all Ax hands are paying you off, starting from AQ down to A2 from short stacks. This doesn't happen in cash except against the worst of players.

Originally Posted by OrionPro

In tournaments AK should be a lot more profitable than in cash, since all Ax hands are paying you off, starting from AQ down to A2 from short stacks. This doesn't happen in cash except against the worst of players.

Precisely, what pays us off apart from rare occasions like I mentioned?

EDIT - I've already posted a lot of the big pots in HA

When re raising PF with AK how often should we CB a missed flop:
1) when in position, and
2) out of position?

90%.

I don't think you have a very large sample size for this right?
It is just possible everyone's hitting flops against you. If not AA and KK should be massive winners if people always call your cbets with not much of a hand.

You have to cbet AK the majority of the time otherwise even semi-competent people will realise that whe you cbet you have the overpair and when you don't you have AK and they can bet and push you off.

Also in 5-6 handed games I disagree that you never get paid by Ax when you flop an ace, KQ/KJ when you flop a kig and even occasionaly lower pocket pairs will call 1 bet in both spots because they may not believe your cbet if you are cbtting the vast majority of flops.

Originally Posted by WotaWaster

90%.

I don't think you have a very large sample size for this right?
It is just possible everyone's hitting flops against you. If not AA and KK should be massive winners if people always call your cbets with not much of a hand.

You have to cbet AK the majority of the time otherwise even semi-competent people will realise that whe you cbet you have the overpair and when you don't you have AK and they can bet and push you off.

Also in 5-6 handed games I disagree that you never get paid by Ax when you flop an ace, KQ/KJ when you flop a kig and even occasionaly lower pocket pairs will call 1 bet in both spots because they may not believe your cbet if you are cbtting the vast majority of flops.

AA and KK are my 2 biggest winners. In fact all the bigger pairs are my biggest winners.

I do CB the vast majority of the time, not as high as 90% though.
Ax hands very rarely call re raises PF.
KQ/KJ - again, very rarely are they going to call the re raise and it's even rarer still that the K will come out.

Ok, here's a selection of AK hands, I've left the results in there but I know the more worthy posters won't be looking anyway.


Hand 1)
Full Tilt Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (9 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com

saw flop|saw showdown

UTG ($30.35)
UTG+1 ($5.65)
MP1 ($9.40)
MP2 ($7.15)
MP3 ($26.35)
CO ($31.85)
Button ($10.20)
SB ($7.45)
Hero ($24.35)

Preflop: Hero is BB with , .
5 folds, CO raises to $0.85, 2 folds, Hero raises to $2.5, CO calls $1.65.

Flop: ($5.10) , , (2 players)
Hero bets $3, CO calls $3.

Turn: ($11.10) (2 players)
Hero bets $7, CO raises to $26.35 (All-In), Hero folds.

Final Pot: $44.45

Results in white below:
No showdown. CO wins $44.45.

Hand 2)
Cryptologic Network No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (6 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com

saw flop|saw showdown

Button ($111.10)
Hero ($56.60)
BB ($74.75)
UTG ($25.20)
MP ($120.45)
CO ($100.10)

Preflop: Hero is SB with , . CO posts a blind of $0.50.
UTG calls $0.50, 1 fold, CO (poster) checks, 1 fold, Hero raises to $3.25, 1 fold, UTG calls $2.75, CO folds.

Flop: ($7.50) , , (2 players)
Hero bets $5, UTG raises to $10, Hero folds.

Final Pot: $22.50

Results in white below:
No showdown. UTG wins $22.50.

Hand 3) I know the check was very weak
Cryptologic Network No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (5 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com

saw flop|saw showdown

Button ($45.20)
SB ($33.50)
Hero ($46.75)
UTG ($129.59)
MP ($18.20)

Preflop: Hero is BB with , .
UTG raises to $1, 1 fold, Button calls $1, 1 fold, Hero raises to $4.75, UTG calls $3.75, Button calls $3.75.

Flop: ($14.50) , , (3 players)
Hero checks, UTG checks, Button bets $4, Hero folds, UTG folds.

Final Pot: $18.50

Results in white below:
No showdown. Button wins $18.50.

Hand 4)
Cryptologic Network No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (6 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com

saw flop|saw showdown

UTG ($30.47)
MP ($15.49)
Hero ($24.50)
Button ($18.40)
SB ($26.75)
BB ($26.94)

Preflop: Hero is CO with , .
UTG raises to $1, MP calls $1, Hero raises to $4, 3 folds, UTG folds, MP calls $3.

Flop: ($9.40) , , (2 players)
MP bets $4.25, Hero folds.

Final Pot: $13.65

Results in white below:
No showdown. MP wins $13.65.

Hand 5)
Cryptologic Network No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (6 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com

saw flop|saw showdown

UTG ($24.75)
MP ($23.77)
CO ($15.78)
Button ($28.33)
Hero ($42.87)
BB ($9.83)

Preflop: Hero is SB with , .
2 folds, CO calls $0.25, 1 fold, Hero raises to $1.25, 1 fold, CO calls $1.

Flop: ($2.75) , , (2 players)
Hero bets $1.8, CO calls $1.80.

Turn: ($6.35) (2 players)
Hero bets $5, CO calls $5.

River: ($16.35) (2 players)
Hero bets $8, CO bets $7.73 (All-In).

Final Pot: $32.08

Results in white below:
Hero has Ad Kh (two pair, aces and threes).
CO has Ah 7h (flush, ace high).
Outcome: CO wins $31.81. Hero wins $0.26.

Hand 6)
Cryptologic Network No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (6 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com

saw flop|saw showdown

UTG ($45.71)
MP ($48.20)
Hero ($24.85)
Button ($22.85)
SB ($9.93)
BB ($25)

Preflop: Hero is CO with , .
UTG calls $0.25, MP raises to $0.75, Hero raises to $2.5, 3 folds, UTG folds, MP calls $1.75.

Flop: ($5.65) , , (2 players)
MP checks, Hero bets $4, MP raises to $8.25, Hero calls $4.25.

Turn: ($22.15) (2 players)
MP bets $20, Hero folds.

Final Pot: $42.15

Results in white below:
No showdown. MP wins $42.15.


Hand 7) Converter wouldn't work for this one, sorry
Game #4567559954: Hold'em NL ($0.15/$0.25) - 2007/06/04 - 18:05:49 (GMT)
Table "MrsSlick" Seat 3 is the button.
Seat 1: Sinja079 ($25 in chips)
Seat 2: rooi1 ($42.47 in chips)
Seat 3: golgol ($20 in chips)
Seat 4: butchtony ($4.95 in chips)
Seat 5: jph86 ($31.16 in chips)
Seat 6: thekeen33 ($33.75 in chips)
butchtony: posts small blind $0.15
jph86: posts big blind $0.25
Sinja079 sits out
----- HOLE CARDS -----
dealt to jph86 [Ac Kh]
thekeen33: raises to $1
rooi1: folds
koldogv joins the table at seat #1
golgol: calls $1
butchtony: folds
jph86: raises to $4
thekeen33: folds
golgol: calls $3
----- FLOP ----- [Qs 2h 9c]
jph86: bets $5
golgol: raises to $21 and is all-in
rooi1 sits out
jph86: folds
Returned uncalled bets $16 to golgol
golgol: doesn't show hand
golgol collected $18.20 from Main pot
----- SUMMARY -----
Total pot $19.15 Main pot $18.20 Rake $0.95
Board [Qs 2h 9c]
Seat 2: rooi1 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: golgol (button) collected $18.20
Seat 4: butchtony (small blind) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: jph86 (big blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 6: thekeen33 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
****HAND ENDS****

With the AK diamonds, is a solid check raise a wrong line here?

With AK clubs, if he was fully stacked you could definitely float that flop.

All the other situations pretty much suck, can't fault your lines there.

AK hand 1:
preflop is standard, but you didn't raise enough. (this is less of a big deal though than if you were oop)
flop is a standard cbet for value, I probably bet a little more though, however I'm very nitpicky.
turn is a GROSS 2 barrel here, thats a terrible card to bluff. obv fold to raise. 2 barreling in re raised pots without a read is pretty much suicide, especially on this board, especially at lower stakes vs presumably looser players.

AK hand 2: standard

AK hand 3: a little more preflop. after you get called in 2 spots and miss its a standard check fold. also good discipline not to come over the top of that $4 bet, I know it's tempting

AK hand 4: a little more preflop, standard on the flop.

AK hand 5: bad luck

AK hand 6: meh flop call of min raise is kind of gross, an A/K is probably going to do nothing more than get you in trouble on that flop, J is your only true out and it might not even pay you off.


This is all very brief, hope I might have helped